


Reflection

by eccentrix (orphan_account)



Series: Uchiha Worship [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: 18+ ONLY, Blood, Can't help but stan, F/M, Horror, Mentions of Psychological Conditions, Psychological Horror, This also includes my headcanon that Shisui goes into the medical field for Itachi's sake
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:35:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23937742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/eccentrix
Summary: Itachi truly wasn't in the best health, despite how vehemently his father and mother had always tried to convince him otherwise. He fought against an unknown physical condition that made him incredibly weak daily on top of a psychological condition. His reluctance to coordinate his treatment eventually comes to a head and he finds that things are even harder to understand than he originally thought. He was going to try his best to conquer it alone despite all odds being against him. What he hadn't counted on, however, was your insistence to help and Shisui's refusal to let things be. He had also conveniently forgotten how stubborn Sasuke was.While having company was comforting, Itachi would soon learn that he had never truly been alone in the first place.
Relationships: Itachi Uchiha/Reader, Mentions of SasuNaru
Series: Uchiha Worship [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1641205
Comments: 17
Kudos: 31





	Reflection

**Author's Note:**

> Well this was FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I promised an Itachi story, and here it is. 
> 
> Pretty Itachi-centric this chapter, but I'm honestly not even sorry. You'll see more of the readers POV as this goes on. 
> 
> Lemme know what y'all think!

Itachi couldn’t remember a time where he _didn’t_ have severe sleep deprivation. 

As a child, he’d spend hours just watching the dancing shadows of the moonlight shining that his open blinds caused on the ceiling of his room. He would average around an hour of sleep each night, if he was lucky. His parents were resistant to treating him with prescription medication. In fact, they completely forbade him from taking it despite the doctors warnings. They tried to treat him with exercise, teas, and other natural remedies that completely failed. 

Itachi started sleepwalking at 8 - _if_ he was able to sleep. He’d find himself standing in front of Sasuke’s door, oftentimes. Seldomly, to his parents absolute terror, he’d wake up in the middle of the street; however, each time he would try to get back into the house, it would be locked. His father would check his bedroom window each time and find that locked too. 

Ultimately, after he stopped, they didn’t seem to concern themselves with it too much. He didn’t tell them when the dancing shadows turned into the figure of a person, nor when it began to whisper to him in a language he didn’t understand. Itachi was in accelerated classes and doing incredibly well in sports despite his tendency to pass out and throw up blood afterward. As he finally aged into his pre-teen years, he befriended an older kid from one of the off branches of his family, Shisui.

His parents were welcoming of their friendship. Shisui had the highest grades in the nation in comparison to the others his age and was a critically acclaimed athlete. 

He was also the first person to show genuine concern about Itachi’s condition. Itachi was eleven the first time their parents had allowed a sleepover. He woke up standing over Shisui with a knife in his hand. Shisui had been awake the entire time. Itachi remembered the look of concern on Shisui’s face. For the first time, somebody asked _him_ if _he_ was okay. 

Itachi cried for the first time in years that night, but he’d done it with such an expressionless face that Shisui had only become more worried. He took him to a psychiatrist and paid out of pocket the very next day. 

At the age of 13, Itachi was diagnosed with chronic insomnia and a lung disease that they couldn’t exactly pinpoint. That same doctors visit was the first time he’d admitted aloud that he could _hear_ people speaking to him at night. While the doctor that Shisui had taken him to didn’t write him off, he did propose that his auditory hallucinations were due to his inability to sleep and stay asleep. He was prescribed heavy sedatives, blood thinners, and iron and _that_ was when the night terrors began and they began to speak in a way he understood. 

A soft, kind hand rested on his bicep. “Itachi, have you taken your medicine?” Itachi turned his head from the ceiling and looked over at you. You were laying next to him, eyes drooping closed. You had clearly been struggling to stay awake for some time. He wondered if you’d been watching him. 

“...no,” he answered honestly. “I didn’t think it was necessary.” 

“You’ve been breathing pretty hard,” you sleepily mumbled, gently rubbing his arm. “We have to be at your parents house early in the morning. You should take it. Otherwise, you’re going to be tired.” 

Itachi looked back up at the ceiling. The lanky shadow figure he’d been staring at raised its spindly fingers to its lips. 

_“Hush, Itachi.”_

_“She can’t know, Itachi.”_

_“She’ll run away from_ **_you_ ** _. She’ll leave_ **_us_ ** _.”_

 _“Then_ **_we’ll_ ** _have to catch her for you.”_

 _“_ **_We’ll_ ** _have to_ **_take_ ** _her.”_

_“Zerosixzeroninezerosixzeroninezerosixzeronine.”_

_“Doesn’t she look like she’ll taste good?”_

_“Take your medicine Itachi.”_

_“Don't you take it!”_

_“It’s poison!”_

_“You’re going to die!_ **_We have to kill her!_ ** _”_

“Alright. I’ll take it,” Itachi relented - more so that they would let him be - and averted his eyes from the growing cluster of dark beings that grew from each other’s limbs. He walked to the bathroom, purposely ignoring the mirror. He could already hear their footsteps shuffling across the ceiling - he didn’t need to look to know they were following him. 

“ _How nice you are.”_

_“Taking your medicine for your girlfriend.”_

_“What a good boy.”_

He took the medication prescribed for his lungs without water. They were much easier to swallow. 

_“Good boy, Itachi! Good boy!”_

_“Now sit! Roll over!”_

_“Zeroninezerosixzeronineninenineninesixzeroninezerozerozero.”_

Itachi filled up the cup next to the sink with tap water, rolling his _other_ pills around in his hand subconsciously. 

A cacophonous round of cackles causes a scowl to form on his face. 

_“He did it!”_

_“He rolled!”_

_“Can I fuck her next?”_

_“No! My turn! My turn!”_

_“He frowned at us. We’re making him sad!”_

_“Maybe he’ll take the_ **_full bottle_ ** _this time?”_

“God,” Itachi breathed, putting the pills back in the bottle as quietly as he could and capping it. He punched the bridge of his nose as he set the bottle down on the counter top next to several others. His head pounded - it always did, but right now it was worse than usual. 

_“He spoke to us!”_

They were active tonight. 

_“He did! He did!”_

They always were right before he saw Shisui. 

_“We’re God! We’re God!”_

Sasuke too. 

“Are you finished?” Your voice cut through the static, the repetitions of his name. 

“Yes,” he responded, avoiding the mirror once again as he turned to walk out. “I was thirsty. Forgive me.”

_“He’s lying again!”_

He was. 

_“Liar, liar!”_

_“_ **_House_ ** _on fire!”_

_“The house is on fire!”_

It wasn’t. 

Itachi grit his teeth and switched off the light to the bathroom. He didn’t spare a glance up at the roof and then went to lay down next to you. You curled into him and he wrapped an arm around you. It felt protective to him, but to you it’d just feel comforting. 

_“How cute!”_

_“She’d be much cuter if she was bleeding.”_

_“Stab her.”_

_“Ruin her.”_

_“Nine…. Nine… nine… zero….”_

“Goodnight, love.” You pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder. 

“Goodnight.” 

You fell asleep not long after. He continued to stare and listen. He debated putting in some earphones at this point as the violence they were encouraging him to partake in was starting to make his stomach sick, but he laid still. He didn’t want to wake you. 

Itachi laid motionless, but awake, until the alarm went off hours later at 5:00 AM sharp. Itachi slid you off of his arm carefully and treaded over to the desk where you placed your work computer last evening. He turned off the alarm clock he kept next to it, removed his smartwatch from its charger, and did the same for his phone. He walked to his dresser and pulled out some athletic clothing and slipped it over his body, ignoring the insults they threw at him. 

“ _Too skinny!”_

_“Too fat!”_

_“Too pale!”_

_“So weak!”_

He closed his eyes and sighed, grabbing his earphones from the top of his dresser and tied up his hair. He fumbled with the tangled wires and ignored how they mocked his incompetence. Before he left the room, he chanced a look up at the figures that followed him everywhere without fail. It was poised above you and they had merged back together now, standing on two feet. He frowned severely at the close proximity it had to you. 

“Are you coming?” God. He tried not to talk to it _ever,_ but when it was near you, he always felt like he needed to direct its attention elsewhere. 

It turned to him and he found himself a hair's-breadth away from its faceless visage not even a second later. Itachi cocked a brow. It didn’t seem to like his lack of reaction. 

_“Boo!”_

_“Did we scare you?”_

Itachi didn’t even flinch. He merely opened the bedroom door and motioned for it to come along. It skittered out the door, jerking and limping unnaturally. 

He placed his earphones in as he hurried down the stairs two at a time. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took a couple of sips before closing it back up. 

Itachi’s mornings typically started like this, but you weren’t here overnight often so most times he’d start the day in a rather neutral mood. Today, though, it’s insistence to interact with you soured his usual _dismissive_ attitude towards it and he was far more frustrated than usual. He locked and unlocked the door six times before he left.

His frustration fueled him to complete his morning run and following workout much faster than normal. He lost track of the faceless creature as he immersed himself in his workout, but even through his earphones, he could hear it talking to him. 

He was back before you woke up. After filling his sink with mouthfuls of blood he frequently expelled after exercise, he started on making a light breakfast but kept his earphones in his ears. He logged the three bottles of water he’d drank in his smartwatch and continued to cook. 

When everything was finished, he plated it and logged it in his phone. Itachi took out his earphones and went up the stairs to grab you. It was getting late. 

He opened the door to find you dressed in a white dress and fussing with a long, beaded necklace. He approached you.

“Would you like me to help?” 

You turned halfway towards him, a grin on your face. “I’d love some help.” 

_“Such a nice boyfriend!”  
_

Itachi took the necklace from your fingers and clasped it without issue. 

“You look wonderful.” 

“Thank you. Happy birthday, love.” He whispered his thanks into your ear and pressed a gentle kiss on it. They began to sing the song to him. He tried to ignore them. “Are you excited to see Shisui?” 

They stopped abruptly. 

“ **_NO!”_ **

**_“NONONONO!”_ **

**_“WE’LL KILL HIM!”_ **

Itachi wanted to scoff. That was doubtful.

**_“NO! NO! NO!”_ **

“Thanks. Incredibly,” Itachi answered, “Breakfast is downstairs. I believe it’s around 350 calories if I calculated correctly.” 

“You don’t need to worry about calories, Itachi. I’ll eat anything you make!” You chimed, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. 

Despite himself, the corner of his lips quirked up into a smile.

“ **_GROSS!”_ **

It seemed as if you had upset them at the mention of Shisui. 

“I’m grateful. Shall we?” 

“ **_THE FOOD IS POISONED.”_ **

It couldn’t be. He made it himself. 

**_“WE POISONED IT.”_ **

No they hadn’t. He’d have seen them. He wasn’t even sure if they were real, either. 

**_“KILL HER. KILL HER. KILLHERKILLHER.”_ **

You interlaced your fingers with his and the two of you made your way down the stairs together. Thankfully, the food had cooled down enough to the point where the two of you could eat without issue. 

Itachi hardly took his eyes off of you even as he ate his meal. You were so incredibly lovely to him even when you did the most domestic things. No dark circles lingered under your eyes - not even when you chose not to make yourself up in that high end cosmetic brand you liked - and your hair was always so beautiful. He could truly and genuinely appreciate the most minuscule things about you - such as the way you’d smile softly at him whenever you’d think he wasn’t looking or when you’d set out his outfits for him and made sure he ate. 

He wouldn’t forget to eat, though.

Just as he was about to follow that thought process, his phone began to ring an alarm tune. The alarm sound was a recording of you telling him to eat breakfast. Itachi jumped, finding heat rushing to his cheeks as soon as it started going off unexpectedly. He fumbled with his phone for a few seconds, nearly dropping it, before finally shutting it off. 

You let out a loud, boisterous laugh. “I can’t believe you saved that! That is _so_ cute!” 

You had sent that to him in the beginning of your relationship a mere few days after you’d started dating. You had noticed he had extremely poor eating habits and wanted to remind him to do his best to eat well. 

“It reminds me of you,” he mumbled lowly. 

_“Yes it does!”_

_“Six… Six… Si...”_

He blinked and slowly exhaled. Laughter grated against his eardrums at his reaction. 

_“WE ALMOST GOT HIM!”_

_“We love to hear (Name)’s voice!”_

Itachi’s brows furrowed and her averted his eyes from yours, hoping that you hadn’t thought his perplexed expression was directed towards you. 

_“He’s upset!”_

_“Woo-hoo!”_

“I’m glad you still have it. Want me to record two more for you? For lunch and dinner?” You asked, a giddy expression on your face. Itachi found himself smiling at you. He reached across the table and placed his hand on top of yours. 

“If you would, I’d be grateful.” 

_“Itachi and (Name) sitting in a tree!”_

**_“K I L L I N-”_ **

Itachi’s dedicated ringtone for Shisui began to chime. 

**_“NOOOOO! DO NOT ANSWER!”_ **

Itachi felt a little bit of satisfaction from their reaction. He picked it up after he’d told you who it was. It just so happened that it was also a video call. They began to shriek. 

_“Hey!”_ Shisui greeted, a jovial smile on his face. _“How are you, sleeping beauty? Happy birthday!”_

Itachi smiled in return as the chorus of lamentations faded. He let out a breath of relief. “Thank you, Shisui. I’m doing fine.” 

_“Was I the first to say it?”_ Shisui looked away from the camera briefly. Itachi could tell that he was just now exiting the airport judging by the throngs of people around him. He was dodging them almost effortlessly. He looked back at the camera and adjusted his tie. _“Whoops. Guess that’s been crooked the whole time.”_ _  
__  
_ “I was the first!” You sang. Itachi turned so that the two of you would be visible in the camera. “Sorry to rain on your parade, Shisui!” You said with a laugh.  
  
Shisui clicked his tongue. _“Alright, alright. Since it’s you, I’ll accept it. That doesn’t mean I’m vacating my spot as Itachi’s number one fan though, alright? This is a one time deal, (Name).”_

“I’ll take the throne from you eventually!”  
  
“That’s enough,” Itachi spoke, shaking his head. Despite his refutation, he was smiling. “Your father is picking you up right?” 

He saw Shisui roll his eyes. _“That jerk is sending his assistant to pick me up. Can you believe that? Sending his poor assistant to pick up his own son and drop him off at a goddamn mansion on her day off!”_ He stopped talking for a minute and scrutinized Itachi silently. _“You’re not dressed yet.”_

Itachi stood up to clean off the dishes from the table. You stood to help him. “I was about to shower.” 

_“I know you don’t like parties or making a big deal about your birthdays, but at least pretend you’re excited to see me.”_

“I am,” Itachi returned, setting the dishes in the sink. You came up from behind him. “I’m just tired.” 

“I’ll wash the dishes up. Go shower, love!” You pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“Thanks.” 

Once Itachi started making his way up the stairs, Shisui sighed into the phone. _“I like her a lot. She’s good for you. Have you told her yet?”_

Itachi looked over his shoulder to make sure you were out of earshot. He hurried up the remaining stairs. “Of course not.” 

_“Eventually she’s going to wonder why you don’t invite her to sleep over more often.”_

“I’ll deal with that the day it comes,” Itachi spoke as he padded through the carpeted hallway, opening his room and shutting himself inside. 

_“Alright,”_ Shisui relented, “ _well you know what to do. Let me see them.”_

Itachi shook his head, feeling agitation start to rise in his chest. “Is it really necessary?” 

_“Sure as hell is.”_ Shisui seemed to be relatively isolated at the moment. His back was to a wall and it was quiet. He appeared to be outside. _“It’s either you show me now or I pull up your sleeves later.”_

“Fine,” Itachi huffed, turning the camera and showing Shisui his bare wrist, panning the camera up his left arm. “Happy?” 

_“Good.”_ Shisui sounded relieved. _“Other arm.”_

Itachi reluctantly complied with Shisui’s request. 

_“Thanks, for indulging me. You’ve seem to be coping well,”_ Shisui complimented him. _“I just wanted to check.”_

“I get it,” Itachi responded, “but it’s hardly necessary anymore. It’s been a long time.” 

_“We all revert to old, comfortable coping skills when put under stress. You mentioned it was getting worse so I just… I wanted to make sure you weren’t harming yourself again.”_

“I know. I haven’t been.” 

_“Are they with you right now?”_

“No. Not since you called me.” 

Shisui furrowed his brows and sucked in his cheeks. _“So weird. I think you should go back to the psychiatrist.”_

“Maybe.” 

He was definitely not going back to the psychiatrist. He saw his regular doctor often enough to stave him off of doing that. He hated doctors offices, hospitals, and anything similar. 

Itachi got his body wash, hair products, and moisturizer ready in the bathroom. Itachi hesitated first a moment after searching through his closet for something to wear as he made conversation with Shisui. “Do you mind staying on with me while I…” 

_“No problem!”_ Shisui said with a grin. “ _Just face me the other way. I’d rather not see my best friend in the nude.”_

Itachi couldn’t help but laugh as he gently set out a suit on his bed. “Sure.” 

Itachi then went back into the bathroom, avoiding the mirror as he always did, and placed his phone and Shisui face down on the counter top. They continued to converse as Itachi showered. Once he was finished, he dressed partway and blow dried his hair, pulling it into a ponytail when he was done. He put the rest of his suit on. Shisui let out a teasing whistle. Itachi noticed he was in a car now. 

_“Lookin’ good, birthday boy!”_

“Thanks.”

 _“Still can’t believe you’re able to do all that without even looking in the mirror.”_ _  
_ _  
_ “I don’t like mirrors.”  
  
_“I remember. I’m not gonna pester you about it today, but you really should go back to the psychiatrist.”_ _  
_ _  
_ Itachi shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal.” 

_“Except it is, dork. Do you know how much anxiety I get when you don’t check in with me nowadays?”_

Itachi frowned severely. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this.” 

_“Yeah, I know I don’t. But I want to, Itachi. Anyway, let’s move on to happier things.”_

Itachi heard a knock on his door. “Is it okay if I come in?” 

“Of course,” Itachi granted, moving to the door. You opened it yourself, and upon seeing Itachi fully dressed, you grinned widely and approached him, pulling him in for a kiss. The hand Itachi was holding his phone in hung limply while he wrapped the other around you to kiss you back equally as passionately. Shisui was uncharacteristically silent even though he likely knew what was going on. Once the two of you broke, Itachi pressed a soft kiss to your forehead.  
  
“You look amazing.” 

_“Hey,”_ Shisui cut through, _“my dad’s calling me. Gotta go. Sorry, Itachi. I’ll see you there.”_

Itachi lifted his phone to his face. “It’s fine. I’ll see you.”  
  
“Bye Shisui!”  
  
_“Bye (Name). Take care of Itachi for me.”_

Before you could even respond with “ _Always_ ”, he’d hung up.  
  
The second he did, a severe, ear-splitting ringing sound began to reverberate through the room. Itachi winced, but you didn’t seem affected. You couldn’t hear it, he remembered, because it was all in his head. All of it was. All the time. His head pounded to the point where his vision swam and he did his best to refrain from falling to his knees. “Can you drive?” He asked, nearly breathless. 

“Yeah,” you responded, rubbing his arm. “You look especially tired today. Is your birthday starting off badly?”  
  
Yeah, the chorus of _kill her_ all night kind of put a damper on his birthday already. “No, it’s been nice so far.”  
  
You smiled adoringly at him. He had to look away. He wasn’t deserving of such a fond expression considering the shadows in his head wanted to do such horrible things to you. 

“I know you’re not a fan of large gatherings, so if you need to step away, let me know.”

  
  
_“Don’t go.”_

_“Stay home with us!!!!”  
  
"You don't need Shisui!"   
  
_ _“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to zerozerozerosixsixnineninenineninenineninenineninenine!”_

“Let’s go,” Itachi hurried you. The sooner he saw Sasuke and Shisui, the sooner they would go away. He interlaced his fingers with yours and led you downstairs. He asked you to go start his car while he locked up the house.  
  
He locked and unlocked the door six times before leaving. The air conditioning was on in the car when he got in it - his car was much cooler than yours, so he’d asked you to take his - and he ignored the urge to check the mirror to see what was in the backseat. He already knew it would be hanging from the car ceiling. It wasn’t worth looking in the mirror. He tried to avoid that as much as possible.

  
_“Sasuke.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“We should get rid of him too.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“Sasuke. Sasusixsixzeronine.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“Itachi loves Sasuke! Such a good brother! Let's kill!”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“Itachi LOVES nineninezerosixsix.”_

You were in the middle of talking, and he really did try to listen, but it was suddenly very overwhelming. He reached for the volume knob and changed to a radio station that played pop music. You only turned to him and gave him a smile. There was no doubt that you took it as an insult of sorts - you were always insecure that you talked too much, but Itachi, honest to God, loved your voice. It was just so hard to hear because they talked so loudly over you. 

Some time passed and for once, he was having a hard time staying awake. You were drawing gentle circles onto his hand as you drove and the gentle lull of the car was soothing to him. He was able to focus on the calming, but loud piano music you’d switched it to once you realized he was nearly falling asleep. 

Itachi was fighting it - hard. They were trying to convince him to give in and because you were next to him, he refused to. He wanted to _so badly_ though, especially when you started humming sweetly along with the music. However, the consequences were steep if he fell asleep. You’d see just how unstable he could be and how horrible his night terrors were.  
  
He was still fighting it, nearly falling unconscious when he felt you let go of his hand to put the car in park. He opened his eyes and sat straighter while you rolled your window down. 

They let out a myriad of curses.  
  
“Hi, Miss (Name)! It’s wonderful to see you again!” A woman dressed in a fancy pantsuit greeted you, bowing. “I trust that Master Itachi has been treating you well.”

“Exceptionally,” you responded, a magnificent grin on your face. Itachi found his lips quirking up and he directed his attention elsewhere. 

The blonde woman nodded. “I would expect no less from the Uchiha family heir. Please drive carefully.” The large black gate opened as soon as she pressed the button. You slowly drove towards the large mansion in the distance. You let out an appreciative “wow”. Itachi chuckled softly.

“I will never get used to seeing your parents house. It’s just… so big.” 

“Unnecessarily so,” Itachi agreed.  
  
He would hear voices coming from every direction when he lived here, but he supposed it served its purpose. They’d often change Sasuke’s room without telling him so that he would be unable to find him as he sleepwalked.  
  
As soon as you approached the cobblestone driveway where multiple cars were currently being attended to, approximately four workers rushed over to Itachi’s vehicle. Both of your doors opened simultaneously. A woman with brown hair offered Itachi a gloved hand to help him up, as instructed by Fugaku. They were all told to assist Itachi as much as possible due to his poor health.  
  
“Please follow me Master Itachi, Miss (Name),” the brunette that helped Itachi spoke with a bow after greeting the two of you formally. “Please trust that we will take care of your vehicle.” 

“I always have,” Itachi responded, offering you his arm as you joined him at his side. You took it, using your other hand to greet some of the other workers as the two of you walked up the long flight of stairs up to the double doors. They were opened by two other workers. You and Itachi said your thanks as you walked through. Itachi took a deep breath to stifle his fluttering nerves.  
  
“There he is!”  
  
“The man of the hour!”  
  
“It’s about time!”  
  
A steadily growing crowd rushed over to the two of you. You gave his arm a reassuring squeeze and Itachi cleared his throat and tried to tune the babbling shadows out by focusing on the influx of greetings from his distant relatives and business partners alike. Thankfully, you were able to direct most of the conversation yourself and you answered many questions that were meant for him. It may have come off as rude, but it was common knowledge that Itachi wasn’t one for extensive conversation so none of them responded negatively. He, of course, added a few words in every now and then.  
  
He never knew such a large house could feel so constricting. There were people everywhere - by the extravagant staircase, by the double doors, by the refreshment table, lingering upstairs, through the walkways to the adjacent rooms… Itachi had no idea he even knew this many people. He likely didn’t. His father probably invited a lot of his own business partners.

At this rate, he didn’t believe he’d ever find Shisui unless he was out in the garden courtyard. It was becoming extremely suffocating being surrounded by so many people and _walls._ Walls that had paintings, awards, intricate designs, _mirrors._  
  
“I’d like to go outside,” Itachi murmured to you as you looked over to him, making sure he was alright.  
  
You nodded and turned back to the third wave of people this morning. “If you’ll excuse us, I need some air.” You smiled politely and bowed slightly. Itachi followed your lead. The two of you walked through the wrap around kitchen, weaving through the crowds and briefly greeting those around you that called to Itachi. 

On top of that, he could also hear the shadows calling his name. At that realization, he found himself much more drained than before. 

As you walked through the next hallway, a beautiful silver door adorned with the shape of roses opened for you thanks to the servants. You thanked them as you both walked through.  
  
There were still many people outside - it was a beautiful day - but it was much less than inside due to the heat. Itachi was willing to endure it if it meant finding Shisui or Sasuke and getting away from the niceties that he was forced to put forward. 

“Oi!” Itachi! (Name)!”  
  
The familiar coarse voice had both you and Itachi looking toward the fountain next to the gazebo.  
  
Naruto was sitting next to Sasuke who had his arms crossed over his chest. Once he and Itachi locked eyes, Sasuke stood and began to walk towards the two of you. You and Itachi did the same.  
  
“Hey you guys!” Naruto greeted, a silly grin on his face as he waved wildly, running after Sasuke. “It’s been like, three weeks!”  
  
You laughed good-naturedly.  
  
Itachi appreciated how good you were around people because the resulting shriek the shadow let out upon the sight of Sasuke was nearly debilitating.  
  
Sasuke frowned as Itachi swallowed thickly.  
  
“What’s wrong with you now?” Sasuke demanded of him, replacing his hands across his chest. Naruto looked at him disapprovingly.  
  
“Oi, you jerk! You’re supposed to say happy birthday!” 

“It’s alright, Naruto,” Itachi assured him, “I’m quite used to Sasuke’s manner of speaking.”  
  
“Are you going to tell me or what?” Sasuke asked again, ignoring Naruto completely. “You look paler.” 

“I haven’t been going outside lately.”  
  
“You run everyday,” Sasuke refuted, “did you stop taking your medication?”  
  
Itachi averted his eyes. “I have trouble remembering.” 

Not really.  
  
“That’s a lie.” The four of you all looked to the source of the new voice - it was one Itachi and Sasuke knew well. Shisui was dressed in a white suit and a black dress shirt, a stark contrast to most around them. Shisui didn’t give any time to protest, he just slung his arm around Itachi’s shoulder. “I text him to take them every morning and every night. All of them. If he hasn’t been taking them, it’s because he doesn’t want to.” Sasuke narrowed his eyes at his older brother. “Let’s give him a pass for right now, Sasuke. I’m here for a week and a half, so we can always lecture him about the importance of taking his blood thinners and iron later.”

Despite the heavy conversation, Itachi hadn’t felt this light in months. 

“Alright,” Sasuke agreed, “but I’m not letting it go.” 

“You could be nicer about it, jerk,” Naruto lectured him.  
  
“C’mon,” Shisui spoke, squeezing Itachi’s shoulder affectionately. “Let’s all take a walk.” 

You agreed and let go of Itachi’s arm, taking his hand instead. The five of you began to walk to the entrance of the garden. Beside the walkway, trees cast their shadows on the stone road, leading to a maze-like landscape that combined trees and flowers alike. This was Itachi’s favorite part of the house by far.  
  
“We gotta hide him from those people,” Naruto stated quite loudly, “They’re like vultures, man! I saw him when he walked in and it was crazy!” 

“It’s always been that way,” Shisui said with a nod. “But the others aren’t who I’m worried about. If Fugaku sees him, he’ll never get away.” 

“Dad doesn’t know he’s here yet,” Sasuke responded, typing away at his cell-phone. “He would’ve found him by now. He’s probably on the terrace.” 

Itachi wanted to laugh. You were looking around pretty frantically, likely searching for his father above the roof and Naruto was bashing “rich parties” without care for whoever heard. Itachi couldn’t help but think he was a wonderful influence on Sasuke. He’d been sucked into the extravagant Uchiha life, naturally, but it seemed that Naruto was slowly drawing him out the longer they were together. 

Shisui was nonchalantly agreeing with Naruto periodically, taking the time to voice his discontentment for formalities and putting on facades (which he rarely did anyway - with Shisui, what you saw was exactly what you got). He’d taken off his jacket and draped it over his arm. You were laughing at their banter and inputting your own opinion ever so often, and Itachi came to the conclusion that if he would _have_ to live a long life, this is the exact life he’d want for himself.  
  
Your group arrived at the inner garden where it was significantly cooler due to the thick shading of the trees around you and you all took seats underneath the canopy that shaded the table.  
  
“God I hate this place,” Shisui complained with a whine to his voice, “I wish we could all say “screw it” and go get some ice cream or something.” 

“My father put this together for me,” Itachi stated, despite the fact he didn’t necessarily want to be here either. “It would be rude to leave.”

“These types of things go on all day, right?” Naruto asked, placing his chin in his hand. Sasuke nodded.  
  
“Usually.”  
  
“I’m lucky that I’ve only been to two so far,” you said with a sigh, leaning on Itachi’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around you. “Itachi, you must be tired.”  
  
Shisui and Sasuke seemed to snap to attention. “Did he not sleep last night?” Sasuke asked.  
  
Itachi was quick to answer, “I did. Just not very well.”  
  
Shisui rolled his eyes. He knew he was lying. He knew Itachi was probably avoiding taking his sleep medication around you because of how it made him. “Sasuke, let’s put a pin in this. Seriously. I don’t want to ruin his birthday.” 

“I do,” Sasuke argued, “I will if I have to.”  
  
“Dude, Sasuke, relax!” Naruto chided him, shoving his shoulder. “Your brother is old enough to take care of himself.”  
  
“Yeah, but he doesn’t care enough.” 

Itachi noticed your expression fall in the slightest out of his peripherals. “That’s enough,” Itachi chided them, “I’m doing fine.” 

“Masters Itachi, Sasuke, and Shisui, would you care for some refreshments?”  
  
Itachi glanced over to the servant that had found them. He eyed the silver platter of assorted fruits and vegetables. The second servant that was trailing behind him carried a platter of drinks.  
  
“Hell yeah!” Shisui said with a grin, standing and walking over to the second, slower gentleman and taking the platter from his hand. He had noticed how unsteady his hand was too, apparently. “You can just put it down on the table. Thanks!” 

He did so and Shisui set the other platter down as well. Naruto dug in without shame and Shisui followed. Sasuke nonchalantly picked up a cup of herbal tea and you followed suit, grabbing one for Itachi too.  
  
Itachi thanked you and took a few sips. While the four of your conversed, Itachi allowed the sound of your voices to wash over him and seep into his tense muscles and aching nerves. He breathed in the summer air and reveled in the sweet smell of your perfume.  
  
Itachi would do anything if only things would stay this way; however, all that is good must come to an end. The sound of his mother's voice accompanied by a few others drew closer.  
  
“Damn,” Shisui clicked his tongue. “It was probably that shaky platter dude that snitched.” 

“It was bound to happen eventually,” Itachi commented in passing as he went to stand.  
  
“At least it's mom,” Sasuke stated, standing as well.

Itachi would have to be sure to add the tea in his log.

“You’re right,” Shisui agreed. Itachi held his hand out to you and you grabbed it, pulling yourself to a stand. 

Mikoto’s thin frame came into view not even a moment later. She was wearing a beautiful black dress. Itachi bowed to her. “Hello mother.”  
  
“I’ve been looking for you,” Mikoto spoke, a frown on her face. “It’s not polite of you to avoid all of the guests that came to see you, Itachi.” 

“I kidnapped him,” Shisui cut in, also giving her a bow. “I couldn’t help myself, Miss Mikoto. I tend to be pretty selfish when it comes to Itachi.”   
  
You let out a small giggle before bowing yourself. “It’s wonderful to see you again, Lady Mikoto.”  
  
She didn’t grace any of you with a smile. “Come. All of you. Fugaku is preparing a toast.” Her eyes roamed over Sasuke and Naruto and frowned disapprovingly, likely at their close proximity. Itachi cleared his throat to catch her attention instead.  
  
“Forgive me. I was overwhelmed.”  
  
“I’m sure. Now, come.”  
  
She turned without another word and Shisui and Sasuke exchanged glances before joining Itachi and yourself. Naruto took a few more grapes before following. Maneuvering through the ceaselessly crowding walkways proved to be more difficult than before. Itachi would’ve lost Shisui if he hadn’t thrown his hand out to him in the midst of all of his shuffling and Sasuke would’ve been left behind if he hadn’t latched onto you. Naruto followed diligently behind Sasuke, holding onto his forearm loosely, inconspicuously. Fugaku and Itachi locked eyes as he approached the extensive stairway. Shisui stopped at the foot and stopped Naruto when he tried to ascend after Sasuke. Itachi held fast to your hand as he approached his father and the room seemed to lull into a low buzz as he took his place next to his father.

Fugaku demanded the attention of the entire room before delving into a speech about all of Itachi’s accomplishments in his life and career. He spoke of how supportive you’d turned out to be and that you had managed to wriggle Itachi out of his antisocial shell in the slightest. He praised Shisui for being a consistent pillar of support and Sasuke for never giving up on his brother despite all they had endured together. As he initiated the toast, Itachi slipped his lips closed. He had never intended on drinking the champagne that had been passed out in the first place.  
  
However, as he looked down at his reflection in the clear-ish liquid as he distanced it from his face, he realized in a panic that thin trails of crimson had begun to leak from his eyes. It hadn’t seemed as if anyone else had noticed, so he turned his back to the largest portion of the crowd and began wiping furiously at his eyes. The liquid transferred to his suit coat and he began to bleed profusely, the crimson falling to the ground and coating the white marble in a thick layer of crimson within seconds. Itachi started hyperventilating and took a step back, appalled.  
  
“(Name)?” He asked, trepidation seizing his voice.  
  
“Are you okay?” You asked, turning your attention to him and away from the conversation you’d started with his uncle.  
  
Itachi touched his cheeks and looked down at his fingers, staring at the blood that had transferred with a look of fear. He looked up to you and you furrowed your brows in confusion.  
  
“Itachi? What’s wrong?”  
  
What’s… wrong? Did that mean you couldn’t see it?   
  
He gazed down the staircase at Shisui who was holding an empty glass with a concerned expression. Itachi tried to blink it all away, but it only seemed to fall faster. Itachi let out a heavy breath and turned away from the crowd again. “I need to use the restroom.” His father went to protest as he hadn’t properly greeted him yet, but Itachi broke away hastily, ascending the second flight of stairs.  
  
You watched after him with an expression of concern on your face and you went to follow him, but Shisui flew past you and his father without a word, following after Itachi at a speed that you didn’t think you’d be able to match. He was quickly followed by Sasuke, but Sasuke’s escape was thwarted by Fugaku who caught him by the bicep. You smiled at Shisui’s father politely and excused yourself, following after Shisui and Itachi without further hesitation.  
  
What was going on with him? He had seemed to be coping with things just fine until the toast. Maybe it had made him anxious… but he had looked so truly frightened that... you weren’t sure that was it.   
  
You were _going_ to find out what was going on with him. It didn’t matter that you’d only been dating eight months, you were tired of the secrecy. He was so elusive and you didn’t want him to slip from your hands for good.  
  
You picked up your pace, trying to keep Shisui in your line of sight as he was ultimately leading you to Itachi. 

You really hoped he was okay. You turned a corner and heard Shisui call out for Itachi, knocking on a door down the hall. You slowed yourself - it was _hard_ to run in such high heels - and listened as Itachi let him in. 

“... hell do you mean your eyes are bleeding?!” You heard Shisui ask, clearly dumbfounded. You quieted your steps, inching closer to the slightly open door. You peeked inside, seeing Shisui prod at Itachi’s eyelids. “There’s nothing there! What the hell are you saying?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Itachi breathed heavily. Your eyes widened and you clamped your hand over your mouth. You’d never heard him so panicked. “I don’t know, Shisui. _They_ left when I saw Sasuke. This must have to do with my lung-”  
  
“Are you fucking kidding me, Itachi? I’m a goddamn cardiothoracic surgeon ! This has nothing to do with your lungs!” Shisui exclaimed, becoming more upset by the minute. “I swear to god, if you’re not taking your-”   
  
“I _am,_ Shisui, when I’m _not_ with her. You know what happens when I do.”   
  
“Then go back and get something different!” Shisui demanded, grabbing Itachi’s wrist and taking his pulse. “You’re not taking this seriously enough! This can have serious repercussions on your-” Shisui paused mid-sentence and turned around, gazing at you through the crack in the door. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “ _Shit_.”

You took the opportunity to open the door fully, finally getting a full view of Itachi who looked significantly more pale than usual - which was saying something.   
  
“What’s going on?” You asked softly, “Is he okay?” Neither Itachi or Shisui went to answer you. “Is it your lungs, Itachi? Are they bothering you again?”

Itachi seemed to take a shaky breath - a display of anxiety? Difficulty breathing? You weren’t sure. 

“No,” he admitted, almost too quietly to hear. “Not this time.”  
  
“Don’t talk about it now,” Shisui warned, “we don’t know who might walk by.”  
  
“We have to talk later,” Itachi spoke decidedly, leaning over the counter top. “I need to-”  
  
You watched as he looked up, making eye contact with you through the mirror. You watched as _any_ semblance of color drained from his face. Shisui gasped and grabbed Itachi by the chin.  
  
“Hey! Hey! Itachi! Look at me!”   
  
“Shisui, what-”  
  
“God damn it! He looked in the damn…” Itachi stumbled backwards and into Shisui. “Hey!” Shisui wrapped his arms around him, lightly slapping his face. “Hey! Stay with me! Itachi!” 

You rushed to his side, grabbing Itachi’s hand as fears icy grip pulled at your chest. “Itachi? Love? Are you okay?”  
  
Itachi leaned more heavily. Shisui cursed multiple times until Itachi’s lips started moving. “Six…” he mumbled lowly, “Six… zero…ni...” Your brows kneaded together and you held onto him tighter.  
  
"What? What do those numbers mean?" 

Itachi’s eyes rolled back into his head and he went completely limp.


End file.
